Huskies, Sailors fit to be tied

BMSoccer-VDN-041013-2
Justin McCarty | jmccarty@vaildaily.com
Battle Mountain's Melisa Lopez, right, finds the net while sliding in on a snowy field during thier game with Steamboat Springs Wednesday in Edwards.

Battle Mountain is 6-1-2 in the 4A Slope, while Steamboat Springs is 4-1-2. The Huskies have clinched one of the two playoff spots from the Slope's Eastern Division, and the Sailors are all but in - they still have games against Rifle and Summit County.

As for who wins the division, both teams have critical games, which could be deciding factors, on the horizon. The Huskies play their last league game Friday at Palisade, which tops the Western Division at 7-0. Said Bulldogs have handed Steamboat its only other league blemish beside the two ties with the Huskies.

Just as Steamboat will be in Palisade's corner Friday, the Huskies will be rooting for Glenwood Springs when it hosts the Sailors later this season. In some nice symmetry, Battle Mountain's only league loss is to those Demons.

"Strange bedfellows," Huskies coach David Cope joked.

The Huskies took the early lead on a free kick from Rosie Davies to Melissa Lopez. That seemed to light a fire under the Sailors during a snowy first half. The Sailors' Katie Arnis scored four minutes later.

Natalie Bohlmann started the first half with a bang in the 41st minute, giving Steamboat a 2-1 lead. Battle Mountain's Morgan Croke notched the equalizer in 51st minute.

"I think the positive to take away is that we are a difficult team to beat," said Cope, whose team is 6-1-3 overall. "We've played 10 game and lost one. I think there's something to be said for that. ... I was proud of the way we came back and got a goal (to tie)."

The Huskies had the better chances toward the end of regulation, while the Sailors had the better of the play in overtime. Both coaches agreed that the extra time Wednesday was different than final 10 minutes up in Steamboat in the first game between the teams. They said that both teams were trying to end it Wednesday, as opposed to settling for the draw.

For the trivially-inclined, this is the first time that the Battle Mountain-Steamboat Springs girls soccer series has ended with two draws since the Huskies joined the Sailors in the 4A ranks back in 2004. In the fall of 2009, the boys teams ended up with two draws and the Sailors won the league title by a tie breaker of records against common opponents.

The Huskies head to Palisade Friday before their spring break, while Steamboat hosts Wheat Ridge Saturday at noon in a big nonconference tilt.

"We're really looking forward to it," Rob Bohlmann said. "It will be a good test for us. Our league is shaping up as very competitive. If we can have some good results against teams in (the) Jeffco (League), it bodes well."

Huskies lax downs Fruita

EDWARDS - Soccer isn't the only winning team on the pitch in Edwards.

Make way for Battle Mountain girls lacrosse. The Huskies rallied past Fruita Monument, 15-10, Wednesday afternoon. That makes Battle Mountain girls lacrosse 5-3, easily the latest in the season that the ladies have been over the .500 mark.

"I think that we have returning players that are excellent," Huskies coach Emily Jaissle said. "I think our team believes in each other and in what I'm telling them to do and I think that they are responding."

The Huskies certainly responded at the half. They were tied at 7-7 at the break before blowing this one open. Maddi Conlin finished with five goals and three assists. Clare Baker also had five goals. Tyra Kuller had a hat trick in both assists and goals.

"Unheard of. It means a lot to us to prove everyone wrong," said Baker, a junior. "It was kind of a joke our first year because we were always at the bottom (of the standings). Then, we come out and win like this and show everyone. We're better than this. If we continue to win, if we beat Aspen and Grand Junction one more time, we might make the playoffs for the first time ever."